Questions to ask when viewing a property
Created | Updated Feb 1, 2005
Viewing your potential new home.
Please check out the excellent article about Tips on Buying a New House A695360 before you start here.
Buying a new home will undoubtedly be the most expensive investment you ever make, so it makes sense to find out as much as you can about your new property before you buy it.
The more information you can obtain about a property, the more likely you are to spot any potential problems with it.
You can normally tell after a cursory glance whether a property is suitable or not, so don't waste time on places you have no intention of purchasing.
If you are serious about a property, be sure to take at least one person with you, many eyes spot many problems.
Be sure to leave your children with sitters. It's hard to take in the details when you are desperately trying to stop your child playing with the owners expensive family heirlooms.
Don't be afraid to arrange more than one visit. Providing there isn't too much competition for the property, the more times you view it, the better your judgement will be.
The owners of the property aren't obliged to tell you about any problems it may have, but they are legally required to answer honestly to any questions you ask them.
With all this in mind, it's a good idea to go prepared with a set of questions you can ask the vendors, or estate agent, while you're actually in the home. The small details, which are often overlooked, can make a big difference to a properties price.
Don't rely on their information. ALWAYS get it verified by an independent expert as well.
Many vendors may bend the truth to help sell their homes, these questions are designed to help spot those lies and help you know which things need the most thorough investigation.
Take your list with you so you don't forget to ask any of the important ones, and make as many notes as you can the moment you finish the viewing.
Here's a sample list:
Why are you moving? Does the reason seem plausible?
How long has it been on the market? If so, why? If it's been on sale for over 6 months, there may be a good reason why no-one else wants to buy it.
How long have you lived here? The longer the better, anyone jumping ship after less than a year should have a very good reason.
Have you found a new house, is there a chain? It can take months or years for some people to find the right property to move to, are you prepared to wait that long? Are the owners prepared to rent or stay with relatives until then?
If there is already a chain, how long is it? The longer the chain the more chance of someone pulling out.
What are the neighbours like? You probably wont be told they are psychopaths, but it's a good sign if the seller knows them by name.
Is there a neighbourhood watch scheme? Gives a good idea of whether the neighbours look out for one another.
Have you ever been burgled? If a house has been broken into once, it often becomes a repetitive target.
Have you made any improvements to the house? It may have been recently rewired or had the heating system upgraded, but was it done by a qualified tradesman, or by an enthusiastic DIY mad owner ?
Do you have the guarantees? All respectable professionals give a guarantee for their work, if the paperwork isn't there, I would question the quality of the work.
Bills. How much is your….
Council tax?
Gas bill?
Electricity bill?
Water bill (metered or rates)?
If any of these seem too high for the size of the property, there could be a serious problem somewhere. For example, high heating costs could mean bad insulation, or even a leak.
When was the last boiler service? It's always good to know how well an owner looks after things in his home.
How old is the central heating? This is probably the most expensive bit of kit in a house, make sure you know if it may cause you problems.
How old is the wiring? Many older houses have outdated and possibly dangerous wiring in them.
Where is the stop-cock You need to know how to isolate the water in an emergency, if the main valve is out of reach, why wasn't it properly relocated?
Does your property ever suffer from enviromental damage, like floods or subsidence? The worlds sea level is constantly rising, make sure you wont need to wear flippers during the rainy season.
Where does the main sewerage pipe run? If the vendor doesn't know, there is a good chance he hasn't had any problems with his drains.
How old is the roof? Another expensive thing to renew or repair.
Which fixtures will be coming with the property? (carpets, curtains, lampshades, etc.)
Which appliances will be coming with the property? (fridge, stove, oven, microwave if installed, etc.)
How old are they?
Are they under warranty still, does the warranty transfer with ownership?
Have they been repaired? When? Why? By whom?
Do you get many insects/pests? Wasps nest, unwanted cats, etc.
Garbage collection - who? what? when? problems?
Is your house haunted? Even if you don't believe in the supernatural, this question will tell you a lot about the present owners.
When is the noisiest time of day? Did the owner tell you that you are under a main flight path, or in a short cut used by local drivers in rush hour.
How long does it take to walk to the local amenities? List the ones that you would use most, like schools, buses or train stations.
One final tip is to record your viewings with a camcorder or instant camera. Memory is very patchy and we tend to only remember the extreme good and bad points of a property. The camera never lies, so you can go back and check whether your oversized fridge freezer will fit into that gap by the backdoor at you leisure.
Good luck with your house hunting, and if you have any tips of your own, please add them below.
